Inside the World's Greatest Scavenger Hunt, Part 1.

Some participants had to dress up as a prospector
and pan for gold in a public fountain. Photo courtesy of David Pogue

In the fall of 2015, my teenage daughter Tia crafted a spectacular, life-sized poodle out of feminine hygiene products.

“It’s a tampoodle,” she told me.

She made this, uh, artwork as an audition piece—to showcase her creative skills, as a tryout for an elite team in some kind of national scavenger hunt. (She made the team.)

I thought the tampoodle was cute. I thought it was great fun that Tia was joining some kind of scavenger hunt.

I had no idea what kind of ride was ahead.

Meet GISHWHES

When most people think of a scavenger hunt, they probably imagine the list of items includes, you know, “Get the dean’s signature” or “Find a dog with a curly tail.”

GISHWHES is not that.

It stands for the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen. (Its creator acknowledges GISHWHES may be the Ugliest Acronym the World Has Ever Seen.)

Teams of 15 have one week to complete about 200 extremely difficult or hilarious tasks. They prove they’ve completed each item by submitting a photo or video of it; their $20 entry fees go to a charity, and the winning team gets a trip to some exotic location with Misha Collins, the hunt’s founder.

Sample items from past GISHWHES lists:

• Do a dramatic reading of your grade-school report card.
• Find someone you love and butter them up—literally. Cover them in butter and then give them a big hug.
• Glaciers are melting—so act accordingly. Pose at a major glacier wearing a swimsuit with floaties.
• Have a tea party with a pediatric cancer patient, where you’re dressed as a character from “Alice in Wonderland.”
• Tour a sewage treatment plant dressed in formal attire with an accompanying violinist or flutist.
• Get a child to write a letter to the universe. Launch the letter into orbit.
• Film an erotically charged conversation between a housewife and pizza delivery man. The actors can ONLY talk about grammar and fonts.
What astonished me is what a big deal GISHWHES is. Last year, 55,000 people registered to participate—not including all the friends and family members who lent favors, assistance, and props. (Registration for this year’s hunt opens this week.)



By David Pogue.
Full story at Yahoo News.